So . . . my stint as a weightlifter lasted less than a week. I went to the gym religiously early last week, following the workouts to a "T" -- well, aside from the pullups bit, anyway, as even getting one out was not happening (and gave me flashbacks to high school gym and my many failed attempts at the flexed arm hang). And then came Friday and our epic road trip out of town. One lower-body weightlifting workout -- missed. Then came this Monday, and I wasn't feeling all that great, so I did a "weak" upper-body workout with some dumbbells at home. Tuesday was a busy day (I had an orientation with the Monster Milers, which I'll detail in another post), so I got in a 4+ mile run, and figured I'd hit up my lower-body workout on Wednesday. But then Wednesday came and I didn't make my way to the gym. Thursday hit and the weather was just too nice to not go for a long run. And today, with temps in the 70s, I opted to go for yet another long run. So, excuses, excuses, I know. But I think there's a chance that the silver lining on all this is that I'm finally getting back into running.
My running journey really began back in 2005 when my friends convinced me to train with them for the 500 Festival mini-marathon in Indianapolis. I'd run several 5ks and 10ks before then, but had never really followed a specific training schedule up to that point. I really enjoyed training for the run (particularly since it meant a lot of chatting while running with my friends), and after a successful completion of the half-marathon in early May, I thought since I'd already put so much effort into training for 13.1 miles, why not keep up the momentum and train for a full marathon? I immediately set my sights on the Chicago Marathon in October. As additional motivation, I opted to participate as a charity runner for the American Cancer Society, which meant I had to raise at least $1000. That first year I followed the Hal Higdon novice training schedule religiously. For the most part I trained alone -- though my dear friends helped me with my 20 mile run by each joining me for a portion of the longest run on my training schedule.
Since I lived less than one mile from Chicago's lakefront trail, most of my runs occurred alongside Lake Michigan. One of the best parts about the lakefront trail is that mileage is marked along the way every half-mile. There are also several water fountains along the way, which helps with hydration. Plus, on the weekends Fleet Feet, a local running store, set up free water/Gatorade stops at a couple different places along the trail, catering to the many runners training for the marathon.
Training went well until around the August, when I started having trouble with my knees and IT-band. A course of physical therapy was recommended, so I ended up going to physical therapy twice a week for my last month of training. (Luckily there was a PT practice in the same building in which I worked at the time, which was super-convenient.) In order to protect my knees and ensure that I made it to the starting line, I opted to do most of my final mileage on the elliptical at my gym. The marathon was a great experience -- hard, but such a feeling of accomplishment once I crossed the finish line. Though I hobbled away from the course, somehow I found myself signing up for the marathon again in 2006.
That year I ran the marathon with D; I managed to shave about 15 minutes off my time, though my training had not been quite as stellar as the year before. Then again in 2007 I found myself back at the marathon starting line, this time with even a less stellar amount of training underneath my belt. And, that was the year that the marathon was cancelled mid-way through due to the high heat and humidity. (I was at about mile 20 when we heard "Stop running; the marathon has been cancelled!" being announced from helicopters flying overhead.) I rolled across the finish line with a super-disappointing time. And soon after ended my running career. (Or as I said at the time, I opted to take a sabbatical from running.)
Once we moved to Laramie I just could never get back into running. I was definitely burnt out from my last marathon experience and the 7200' elevation was not my friend. At that point I "officially" decided to put running on the backburner and decided to focus instead on aerobics and weight-training workouts (I've said this before, but seriously, Cathe Friedrich workouts are the best!)
Now that we've moved to the city my Cathe-commitment has waned a little bit; and though I belong to the gym at Penn it's sometimes hard to motivate myself to make the 1-mile walk there. But . . . now that the weather is getting better, I'm finding the call to hit the running trail once again. This week alone I've gone for a run three times, and have run on average five miles each time. I can breathe easy (yea, sea level!) and there is a great pathway that lies alongside the Schuylkill River. Though it lacks the mile markers and water fountains that the Chicago trail has, it still is a great place to run. (And it is much longer in length than the Chicago 18-mile-long pathway; some day soon D and I are going to have to explore on bike.)
All this to say that I'm re-committing to running. (Hopefully this exercise commitment will stick!) I'm not quite sure if I (or my joints, more importantly) are up for the Philadelphia marathon in November, but in the very least I am definitely considering the half-marathon and numerous 5 and 10ks throughout the spring and summer. Perhaps it's time to invest in a new pair of running shoes!
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